Friday, September 4, 2015

Seek & Find: Will you visit J.Crew this Weekend?

This is the weekly "sale watch" post, to help each other find sale
items at our
various local J.Crew stores. ;)

If
you are stopping
by a J.Crew store this weekend to see
what's available (if
anything!) in theSALE, or to see some NEW ARRIVALS {sigh!} in
person, maybe you might be
willing to share that with us in this
post. In particular, if you could
share with us a few of the
noteworthy items that are available, at
what prices, and potential sizes
the store is carrying (as well
as the store location)- that would be
fantastic!

Also,
please let us know if your local store is
carrying an additional percent
off sale. Thanks in advance!!! :)

P.S.
I noticed that many of
you have already been reporting sale
items (and in which stores) in
other posts which by the way "thank
you!" :) I really appreciate how
helpful we are for each other!

72 comments:

Not near a store, but I thought I'd share some reviews from my latest JC box-o-fun!

Patio Pant: I've been wanting to try these for a while. I already had free shipping, so I threw in a pair just to see. Quality of these is great and the fit was spot on but not for me. I took my usual JC pant size and that was the right call, but the fit was just a little too bootylicious for my liking. Now, my husband hasn't seen them, and he might love it. But (and I mean butt!) they showed more than I was comfortable. Too much cheek-to-cheek definition for me, and sizing up would not have solved the problem. Maybe if I were in-store and could compare subtle variations within the size... Moving on.

Collection Italian Wool Pleated Crop Pant: Again, had been wanting to try this style on too. The fit was total opposite of the Patio Pant. Got my regular JC size and could easily have sized down. I love a loose fit and wanted that, but these were swimming on me. I'd have to alter 3-4 inches from the waistband, easily, to get these to work. Adore the misty orchid color, though, and quality was very nice, light wool. Subtle and would be surprisingly versatile. Bummer.

Merino Wool Crewneck Sweater: These have been marked down so much lately and I LOVE them! I just ordered my 3rd or 4th, this time the lovely aqua. Going to wear with all my higher waisted pants and aline skirts this fall and winter. TTS for me.

Perfect Shirt in Vintage Scarf Print: TTS. Lighter weight but quality fabric, as expected. This this will be versatile print to add to my wardrobe. Not happy about something else to delicate wash and iron, but I'll sacrifice ;-)

Wide-Legged Cropped Jean in Lowry Wash: This is the second pair of these I've ordered this summer on sale. LOVE how they fit me! (I'm JC 00 skirt, 0 shirts, 2 pants to fit athletic thigh, got 26 in these and can shrink a bit) Rise is just touching beneath my bellybutton, waist is okay, hips good, and plenty of room in the thigh. I was nervous from the reviews about the wash being dirty looking, but I didn't find that to be the case at all.

Waiting for 4-5th pkg (ugh) in this one order with another perfect shirt (expect fit to be same) and the Sleeveless Flounce Dress (ordered XXS and hoping it's not too short).

Patio pant in petite, and in wool? Oh, that sounds perfect - I have them in the cotton fabric, and have been wishing they were a bit smaller and a bit shorter, and that seems like it would do the trick!

My Rhodes in Belgian Chocolate arrived. I have mixed feelings. It certainly is an improvement - the fabric and tailoring aren't bad. Slightly longer than the Schoolboy and it fits fine but it doesn't have the "polish" of a Schoolboy - I can't explain it. Something about the cut isn't quite as flattering on me. The color is lovely and motivation enough for me to keep it. But the buttons. Awful. They will need to be replaced immediately and for some, it will be a deal breaker.

Wow! Feedback on the Rhodes blazer and on the color I'm interested in no less. A couple of the reviews also said the buttons were 'cheap' looking. I got to see these buttons already lol. What were you going to pair it with? I was thinking the ivory no. 2 pencil or maybe even the tangy olive or last year's chartreuse. I also wanted to see how it would look next to a pink skirt bec. brown and pink can sometimes look good together if they are certain shades. I'm waiting for it to go on sale. I'm semi excited to get it, hesitant bec. of the not 100% positive impressions it's making on people. I hate cheap buttons. One thing I have to say about Brooks Brothers, is that they use quality buttons. That was one of the first things I noticed right away from my first schoolboy blazer was the difference in the buttons on some schoolboys, the ones that are woven leather looking. You know those ones? Brooks are noticeably finer. But the metal ones from last years jcrew blazers were all fine and they were gold. How exactly do they look cheap? Do you think you would replace the buttons?

ok, I just looked at your comment again, you are replacing the buttons. That is too ambitious for me, it seems like a project to go to a button store and find the right buttons, I'm not that gal, I'm much lazier than that lol. Will you still use gold? The bright cerise one I want even more and I've never been one to wear much red.

You know what when the next sale strikes I'm going to get the two Rhodes blazers as planned and expect to hate them. I'm also going to get the Regent in Bohemian red and I'll decide between the two reds which I'll keep. I think that Regent blazer has a more casual vibe to it.

Ina Mack, the Cambell blazer caught my eye last night when i was checking on line. It's done in wool or corduroy. I was interested in the wool one which comes in navy or black. I like that it doesn't have flap pockets on the bottom and that there is one button that looks pretty, maybe a combination of enamel and brass. But the one review I read for navy said it's a very dark navy. In the picture it looks like a blue navy to me on my monitor. It's included in the 30% sale. Which campbell interests you?

Hi Lauren, thanks for the info. I'm pretty much off the Rhodes for now. I'm not interested in changing buttons on a blazer and it's a turn off to know that so many people find the buttons distasteful that I would be embarrassed to wear it as is. The blazers I'm considering now are...Bohemain Red Regent and the Navy Campbell wool i just ordered and hope it isn't too dark of a navy. Currently I have two navy blazers from Brooks Bros. One is very dark and doesn't have buttons but closes with an inner hook and looks like it's a bow when closed. And the other is tipped in grossgrain with brass buttons but doesn't have a slim fit like I'm looking for. Anyone else out there have multiple blazers of the same color? lol I'm starting to feel like a hoarder.

Ina that sounds pretty! I didn't get my catalog yet. I wonder if they will have any plaid or houndstooth blazers this year. That's pretty much my weakness. If you like tweed, what did you think of the donegal tweed regent blazer, pencil or dress? I'm looking forward to the the blazer and skirt in pink that I ordered because I think it might be lightweight for this in between time of year and the color isn't so fall/winter. The green tempted me bec. it looked like it had interesting lighter green flecks and maybe blue too. I wonder how those items would look mixed and matched with one another. I dragged the items in my wishlist where you can position the blazer above a skirt to get an idea but I still don't really feel it.

Just came back from a J.Crew Factory store. Here are my thoughts are what I bought:

- Factory Heart of Words Collector Tee in Airy Cotton, E0026. Very cute! Runs big. I'm usually an S in J.Crew and I ordered an XS. They only had an XXS in store which fit but was skin tight. I was concerned that the material would be thin and see-through but it's not. It's a textured cotton/poly that reminds me of the painter tees. The photo makes the tee look white but it's definitely an ivory.

- Factory Warmspun Cardigan with Ribbed Sleeves, C8699. I sized down from an S to an XS. I don't layers under cardigans so I wanted it more fitted. I saw Gigi's review and put it on my list of try-ons.

The following I tried on but didn't purchase:

- Factory Calf Hair D'Orsay Flats in Leopard, B8910. Thumbs-up. TTS. I sometimes size up a half a size in closed toe shoes. Not in these. The front half is real calf hair.

Cate..I'm right there with you. We should start a support group. I actually like the higher collars but I'm tall with a longish neck. However I need to upgrade my cream puffer but am afraid of me up transfer on the higher collar. First world problems.

I went into my b&m yesterday b/c I was at the mall searching for a cute dress for a few upcoming dressy events. They had nothing unfortunately to fit that bill, but I did think there were some cute things in there. Didn't have time to explore in depth, but I thought it looked promising.

I'm looking through the Land's End Catalog and I love what I see. Not only the nice normal USEFUL clothing but the photo layout. Models of all ages.....including a pretty older lady with gray hair...doing normal things like playing outdoors and interacting with kids. Everyone looks happy. A far cry from those twisted bodies with vapid looks from the Crew. And NO blown out white backgrounds. You can actually see the garments in real settings. Bravo! I see a red jacket, a pea coat, that dress in my closet that is missing (for funerals, weddings, etc.) the vicuna colored twin set I'm looking for (they have tons of colors) , an aran pale blue sweater...I wonder how much of it will actually be my store?

Me too, stray cat. I also appreciate consistent sizing, no pricing games, guaranteed forever, great quality in construction and fabrics (Pima cotton, merino wool, the best cashmere) and beautifully made leather shoes and bags. The cuts are slimmer and I can always find things that are generally not the most fashion forward but solid additions to my closet that are in heavy rotation and last.

Me as well Stray Cat and ruffles, I really liked the new catalog, and did you notice they hired a new copywriter too, the descriptions are terrific. The basic items like well-formed all cotton sweaters, chino pants, they've even re-designed their denim... I placed an order of a few basics with the 30% coupon that should arrive on Tuesday (it shipped fast even though the chino pants I ordered had to be hemmed). Fingers crossed.

I'm not sure about some of the fabrics in the dresses but I may order to try. Dresses with pockets are a huge love of mine. Every dress I saw had pockets. The website is a bit weird though. When I pull up dresses, I see a group of them, then when I click on a specific dress, I see more suggestions on the right side that weren't in the original group. Hard to find things. They have some great workwear. Thanks for telling us about this, Straycat. I haven't looked at Lands End in years.

Isn't it so refreshing! I find I'm looking at the CLOTHING and not staring a contorted model with major bead head, a spaced out look on her face and a bunch of items all twisted, scrounged and piled on her uber skinny body. I love seeing normal looking models. They look like people you see everyday. I love it. Normal clothes with not a sequin, stone, word or bits of glitter in sight. Let's all breathe a big sign of relief...and release! And free shipping on only $50.00....yah! And from my experience they always have discount coupons and include them with every purchase for your next purchase. No games, no guessing. My kind of shopping.

Hi JCrew fashionistas,This is completely OT but, did you know that from now until Labor Day, Vogue Magazine has all of its archived issues online- for free. Trust me the 1893 issue is a hoot!This is the link.Simply go to Vogue.com/archive from your desktop or tablet and click “Archive Login” at the top of the page.And this is important: Select “Magazine Subscribers and Registered Users” and log in with the following credentials:

Username: Runway@vogue.comPassword: runway

Enjoy! Don't forget the link expires on Sept. 7th.

BTW went to my B &M baby steps. Some better items, but nothing compelling, yet.I do keep talking myself in and out of a Factory sparkly necklace, but happened upon The Whining Diner and Well fed Fred's timely post about costume jewelry.http://thewhiningdiner.blogspot.com/Now I am even more torn. Will the color fade from the metallic bits after 3 or 4 wearings? I often wear my necklaces against bare skin. What in the world is Light gold ox flash plating? I can't even find a definition online...

Be leery of any pieces with the painted stones. They paint it over the slick glass/plastic stones and it chips right off. I ordered a pair of earrings and they didn't even withstand the shipping trip! They came with chips on those painted stones. I hate the jewelry they have featured the last few years. It's all garish crap. I have some older Crew pieces that I love....the enameled animal pieces are still favs of mine. They harken vintage Kenneth Jay Lane in design and they are classics. I collect KJL vintage pieces as well and also have some vintage 1970's silver Tiffany big cuffs and some Robert Lee Morris cuffs, rings, etc. for the 90's and some other older pieces that I have collected over the years. Collecting older pieces isn't for everyone, but I think you're money would be better placed in a more upscale costume jewelry piece. There are some beautiful lines out there. I just bought a new KJL huge stoned cuff. They stand the test to time. I like "real" jewelry, but often it's too dainty for me so big statement costume jewelry will always hold a place in my wardrobe, but I'm not wasting money on the icky crap offered by the Crew, BaubleBar and like sellers.

Thanks for the mention, KnitYarns! I'm with Stray Cat, there's a world of difference between JCrap and good costume jewelry, in every area from fit, comfort, quality of clasp, settings - that said, I'm still holding on to my JC "nautical flag" charm bracelet.

Thank you Stray Cat and WFF. I forgot. I have some old pieces of Dior jewelry that still look fresh many years later. And, some older enameled pieces from J Crew (lol J Crap!)) that are still lovely. If J Crew doesn't want to be lost in the look alike crowd, they should stop putting out cheaply made"knock off" JCrew pieces...The richness and quality is what drew me in initially.I KWYM WFF, I think a new jewelry designer, or at the very least, quality control would go a long way.

A new jewelry designer would be very exciting! Ebay is full of knock off (well it's not really knock off J. Crew stuff.....J. Crew jewelry is made in China and the other stuff is most likely made in the same factories) cheap Crew like stuff. Everyone has copied their look. It's time for a complete overhaul in that area.

Wow that's wonderful to hear. I didn't even know 30% works over the phone. I just bought two 3-packs of socks to get free shipping lol. I'm an idiot, who spends more to get free shipping? But we do need socks, this is true.

Loren I was trying to do the exact same thing; spending more to save a little. Considering it now it does sound funny, if I just pay a little more I save this. Happy to get just the shirt without an add on to get me the deal.

It really is so silly isn't it? I ended up getting two packages of men's athletic socks. I have one son that wears a size 10 and another who's an 8.5 so I figure between the two they'll get used. My husband likes socks that go up to the ankle and these are the ones that are very low. The review for the socks says that they run small though, so worst case they'll go to me lol and I oddly have no socks and always wear the same few pairs when I use my treadmill. I don't wear socks otherwise. I placed three separate orders during this 30% sale, the first two met the $150 limit but this one for just a blazer was $11.40 short lol.

I returned an unworn metallic regent I'd impulsively ordered on sale over a month ago. The SA was good about giving me store credit but I didn't see anything worthwhile. I love all the new Tippi colors but the fit was weird - the torso felt too big while the sleeves felt too small. Brooks Bros. wound up with my money.

Ooh what did you get from BB? That's my other favorite store. They have some red fleece things cheap right now online. I wish they had more to offer in terms of petite blazer styles. There's a Red Fleece plaid blazer in orange/green not on sale yet, that catches my eye but it won't fit me trim the way I like, it would either need a little altering or I'd have to layer under it.

I've been finding myself there more often lately. It is hard to beat BB quality. I bought a shirtdress for next spring/summer plus an outerwear jacket reminiscent of the "downtown field" (lined in mesh, no less). Also a pair of beautiful, lined gabardine suit trousers. I still wear jcrew gabardine suiting from almost a decade ago. I don't think jcrew offers any lined suit pants these days and the wool feels so thin and cheap to me. I know the jacket you're talking about. It seemed a little boxy to me irl but I love the colors. There is a Red Fleece striped blazer that I'm in love with.

Is it the wool twill jacket with the red and yellow stripes on a navy background? Very cute and preppy. What do you think of the Black Fleece line? I once stalked a spring/summer blazer that was originally $400something for a whole year or maybe even slightly longer until it hit the flash sale and got it for ....$90. I still don't know how I did that and I've never been able to find the flash sale again but I stopped stalking lol. Things from that season are still on BB website. It's an odd thing that they keep clothing from so many seasons ago on their website and they never really hit a true clearance price. Black Fleece sale prices are like J.Crew retail full price.

Wow! You really led me down a rabbit hole! I had never paid much attention to the Black Fleece line (i don't think it's lumped in with the regular and red fleece lines). And apparently, the sale section is totally separate? Anyway, so many drool-worthy sweaters and skirts! But you're right about the pricing...I will no doubt be stalking too! Thanks for the heads up!

Hi again, I just looked it up and the date I placed the order was March 1, 2014. The blazer I got was the washed cotton madras jacket, it's a tipped cotton blazer in plaid. I wear it with two different cotton twill J.Crew pencil skirts. The sale is good, it's like you have to blink yto make sure you're seeing straight good lol. The blazer retail was $475 and I got it for $95. Then it goes right back to $200something after the sale. So if you love something check it everyday and if you just want to see if they have another flash sale I would check around Feb. if they do it the same time frame every year. BB has these really amazing flash sales, they're quick, 1-2 days and that's it, prices back up. My first BB purchase was during one of their regular sales, March 28, 2013, a navy bow jacket in their regular line, it's a navy blazer that closes with a hook and looks like a bow when closed, it was $398 and I got it for $59. That was the lowest I ever paid for a blazer from them. I guess March is their price cutting time, so I would start stalking around Feb. to be on the safe side. It was so random, I just went online to browse and I was like, wow, that's a low price!

Has anybody seen the Pull on Skirt in Plum Flowers in a size 00 anywhere? My order just got canceled :( If anyone has one from a final sale fail, I would love to take it off your hands.jenny.dubya@gmail.com

I had some exciting news today. I like a lot of what I'm seeing at Madewell. I've been so unhappy with the Crew for a few years and I've changed my style so much that Madewell is looking more and more appealing. Only problem, and it's a major one, is that Portland's (Oregon) only store is right downtown. It's in the "cool" urban area where they want to attract cool people who live in lofts and work in chic little shops and downtown businesses. That's a very small percentage of the huge (and getting huger everyday) metro area. It's impossible to get to this store. The traffic, lack of parking, bikes/pedestrians, tourists, diverted traffic for our constant city activities has illuminated Madewell from my shopping choices. I haven't the time or patience to go there. But I hopefully ordered a pair of oxfords (the Jess) and they were not very good...too big, horrid chemical smell, etc. and needed to return them. My husband nicely drove me to the store....it was a nightmare downtown today and I jumped out of the car and went in. I mentioned to the sales gal that I would love to shop more at Madewell and have been a longtime J. Crew shopper, but the location in my opinion wasn't shopper friendly. She agreed, said that the company had listened to customers and are putting in a second store at Bridgeport Village which is a nice outdoor mall only 2 miles from my home. I shop there all the time. Several other stores which were strictly downtown stores have opened second stores there and I really enjoy shopping there. I'm thrilled! It's do to open January 2016 and I can't wait!

If you're looking for really comfortable high quality Oxfords try out Nisolo ( nisolo.com). The flats run ~ $158 with free shipping. The shoes are hand crafted by Peruvian artisan shoe makers and the fit is amazing.

Happy for you, stray cay, I don't know, I just don't get Madewell, I can't pinpoint why - too boho/young, maybe; although I like clean lines/somehow modern look very much. As I said in a previous post, if you check job openings (career link on their site), you can see whether a new store is coming to your town - plenty openings for "new stores".

I agree....lots of their things are too shapeless, but some things might work in my more casual wardrobe. I'm excited to be able to see things in person, touch the fabric and try things on. It's so hard to know until you actually see and try them.

Madewell can be so shapeless. I tried on the Oversized Sweater Jacket (#E1273) recently, in the XS/S (I'm generally a Medium in jackets at Madewell/J Crew) and it was shapeless. There was no shoulder seam. Not even a dropped shoulder. It was just odd. I really wanted to like it, the material felt like boiled wool and was really nice, and it had pockets. The shoulders were a hot mess, though. Their sizing is pretty wacked if a XS/S is too big on me, too. I don't know who is approving these designs.

Has anybody seen the Pull on Skirt in Plum Flowers in a size 00 anywhere? My order just got canceled :( If anyone has one from a final sale fail, I would love to take it off your hands.jenny.dubya@gmail.com

Dear J.Crew Aficionadas & Aficionados: Please feel free (and encouraged) to share your thoughts and opinions. :) However, please note that this is still a personal blog. So comments that are considered inappropriate (e.g. obscene, racist, homophobic, personal attacks, rude, and just plain mean) will be removed.

Incidentals

The following blog is just a forum for people to express their thoughts and opinions about J.Crew. Also, please note that most (if not all) of the images come from J.Crew's website and/ or catalog. Lastly, J.Crew is *not* affiliated with this site. :)